Welcome in the light

Last month, I sat in the prayer room at Poiema Retreat House in the Lakes, watching the light stream in.

When we welcome in the light, darkness will not win.

Around 50% of young people see their future as dark. No wonder when our world is tragically divided and children in Belfast are terrorised by flames. No wonder when apocalyptic predictions pollute the online ether. Recent Nobel prize winner, Professor Geoffrey Hinton predicted a 10% to 20% chance that AI would lead to human extinction within the next three decades. Not bad odds for winning the lottery, not so great for an apocalypse! If AI doesn’t get us, climate disaster looms. Add in government instability, international corruption, wars abroad and shrinking employment and I hope you aren’t wishing you hadn’t clicked on this today.

Thank God, the darkness will not win! I’ve been reading Ephesians which reveals God has a glorious plan for this dark, divided world- a plan which involves us.

It is no small plan. God has a plan to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ (Ephesians 2:10). Elon Musk might be planning space travel. God is bringing heaven and earth together.

I need this reminder that our story and our world belong to God. His plan is written in indelible ink! Christ came to create a new humanity that united heaven and earth in himself (Ephesians 2:15). The Cross dismantled all that divided us. Now nothing can separate us from his love! We are united with him and in him to bring his wholeness to this broken world.  

Do we sit back then and twiddle our thumbs waiting while God unites us? No! Ephesians 4 calls us to MAKE EVERY EFFORT to maintain the unity God created. Instead of darkness paralysing us into passivity, we have a part to play – to throw open the doors and welcome the light.

It begins with throwing open the door of prayer – that heaven will be united with earth - and that leads to throwing open the doors of our hearts and homes. Effort alert! It involves time and generosity and costly repentance and forgiveness when we hurt each other. We can only do it with God’s help.

Yet it’s a million times worth it, because God commands his blessing here (Psalm 133).

I’ve been caught by this vision of God’s plan for unity - this is what sends me to the prison, what gives me hope for our divided world.

When we welcome in the light, the darkness cannot win!